I do a lot of coverage of screenplays these days. I see a lot of common mistakes.
The following are a series of concise screenwriting tips.
#5 DON'T DIRECT FROM THE PAGE
Another very common error I see in amateur screenplays is where the writer believes it is their job to direct the actor and the camera.
Let's start with the actor.
Countless times I've seen 'John furrows his brow.' Or 'Michelle raises an eyebrow.'
Don't, whatever you do, direct the actor in how to express emotion through their face.
The emotion that you want the actor to convey should be self-evident from the CONTEXT of the scene.
Say you want your actor to express 'confusion'. Rather than writing that the actor should furrow their brow - all you need to do is put that character in a naturally confusing situation.
If you've succeeded in doing that then it is self-evident that the actor would express a look of confusion.
Next are hand movements.
Often I see written - 'John reaches for the cup, curls his fingers around it gently then picks it up.'
This action should simply be written - 'John picks up the cup.'
OR even better yet ... cut to the important action...
'John drinks from the cup.'
If he drinks from it, then it's IMPLIED that he picked it up.
This also falls under the category of OVER-WRITING.
Don't micro describe characters’ actions.
You wouldn't write, 'John places one foot in front of the next, then lifts his first foot and places it in front of the other...'
You'd simply write - 'John walks.'
Now - you might be shaking your head at this advice - thinking just how elementary it is - but the reason I'm writing about it is that I see this kind of actor direction in EVERY SINGLE amateur screenplay I read.
And I read a lot.
Here's another very common way that beginners direct the actor from the page.
JOHN
(angrily)
I told you not to do that!
Here's a RULE for you - not a principle - but a RULE - never - ever - write HOW a line should be delivered.
That is up to the director and the actor to decide.
SURE - if you're writing to direct - then have at.
But the vast majority of writers are not writing to direct.
So don't do it.
The use of parenthesis should be kept really simple.
The best use of it is to direct who is being spoken to.
In any situation where there're more than two characters in a scene - and it's unclear who is speaking to who - use parenthesis like this...
Assume a scene where there are the characters - John, Michelle, Jake and Susan.
JOHN
(to Michelle)
Pass me that monkey-wrench, will you?
SUSAN
(whispers to Jake)
I don't trust John.
Another way to use parenthesis is with sarcasm - when the sarcasm might not be plainly evident.
Consider this scene ...
It's a sweltering hot day. John and Mike sit on a bench, baking in the sun.
JOHN
Damn, it's hot.
MIKE
(sarcasm)
Really, you're hot? I'm cold, I wish I had another jacket.
...
It's not absolutely necessary to put sarcasm in the parenthesis, but given that it's very likely the Reader will be skim-reading - it's a good idea to avoid confusion.
Here's another way that I see writers directing the actor from the page.
JOHN
Hey Mike, I was thinking about...
(beat)
... you know what? Don't worry about it.
Don't ever write (beat).
That's the writer deciding how and where the actor should place their pauses.
Have faith in your actor that they will know the best place to put the pauses to best deliver their lines.
This dialogue would be better written like this -
JOHN
Hey Mike, I was thinking about--
You know what? Don't worry about it.
That's most of directing the actor from the page.
The next thing I see - which is less common - but still prevalent - is directing the camera from the page.
Never - ever - write - 'The camera follows John as he runs after the taxi.'
Instead, you should write - 'John runs after the taxi.'
Of course, the camera is following John as he runs after the taxi - that's the action that's being described, so that's what we're seeing up on the screen.
The only way it got filmed was if the camera was following him.
THE TAKEAWAY
Go to the script you're working on right now.
Do a 'directing from the page pass' - where you only focus on directing from the page.
Consider all the points I've made in this post and carefully analyze your script, removing every instance where you directed the actor and camera from the page.
I do a lot of coverage of screenplays these days. I see a lot of common mistakes.
The following are a series of concise screenwriting tips.
#4 CONCISE WRITING
I've written about this before, but it's something that I keep seeing, over and over, in amateur screenplays and also in a lot of the 'professional' screenplays I read.
It is so refreshing to read a 'lean' screenplay. A screenplay where every line of description is minimal and to the point - void of unnecessary detail.
Let's start at the macro - PAGE COUNT.
Try to remember this - your screenplay should never be over 110 pages long.
Remember that number - 110.
When I say this to screenwriters new to the craft, I often hear, 'but I read an Aaron Sorkin script that was 164 pages and it was great.'
Yup, you sure did.
Aaron Sorkin is one of the highest paid screenwriters on earth.
Are you?
Nope.
Simple - don't use the standard by which the uber-professionals are judged for yourself.
When starting out you have to EARN your stripes.
That means bringing in your page count at 110 pages.
Now I'm going to take this one step further.
Really - if you're an 'unknown' in the sense that you don't have a major IMDB credit to your name - then your screenplay should come in at 100 pages.
Why is that?
Page count is the very first thing readers look at it.
It's their gauge to seeing what kind of writer you are.
When a reader sees that the page count of a genre film is 122 pages long they automatically dismiss the writer as amateur.
When another genre script comes in at 110 pages - it's better - but the reader will really want to know why the script is coming in at 110 pages, not 98.
You'll have the benefit of the doubt going into the read - but the reader will be on the lookout for more red flags as they read.
If the reader has a genre script that's coming in at 95-100 pages long, they go into the read knowing that the writer has done their homework.
Think about that - do you want the reader going into the read to be on the alert, looking out for your next mistake so they can go into super-skim-read-mode and give your script a pass?
Or do you want them to go into your script with a sense of respect - knowing that this writer has at least understood how important page count is?
I have NEVER read an amateur screenplay that couldn't have cut its page count by 25% or more.
Never, ever.
Here's six trim tips to cut your page count.
TRIM TIP #1.
This is the simplest one. It doesn't involve very much editing at all.
Go through your screenplay - and look out for wrap-around single sentences.
What I mean by that is - a sentence that spans the width of the page - then goes onto a second line with the final word, or words.
Then re-write that sentence until it fits onto just ONE LINE.
You do that enough times in your script and you're going to trim your page count by at least 5 pages.
You haven't changed the story AT ALL - but you have cut the page count.
TRIM TIP #2
Look at the core of each scene.
Go through every scene you have written. Think about what that scene is trying to achieve.
X character must deliver this piece of information.
Then start the scene as close to that key piece of information as you can.
Then when that piece of information is delivered - end the scene as soon as you can.
One thing I notice with amateur screenplays is THE PREAMBLE.
The characters enter the scene, have a little chat, then get down to business.
Total waste of time. Cut all preamble.
To see lean screenwriting at its best - Watch THE BLACKLIST or GOOD WIFE.
These shows are hugely successful for a reason, they have no fat on their bones.
Every scene moves the story forward.
TRIM TIP #3
Re-write every sentence.
This may seem obvious - but again - I've NEVER seen an amateur screenplay that didn't have over-written sentences.
Go through your script - sentence by sentence - take the first sentence - let's say it comes in at 12 words.
Re-write it until it says the same thing but comes in at 8 words.
Soooooo simple it hurts.
TRIM TIP #4
Cut floral-writing. By floral-writing I mean anything that would better suit a novel.
That mostly means similes and metaphors.
Having said that - it is okay to have a handful of well-placed similes or metaphors in your script so it doesn't read too dry.
Aim at no more than 6 floral sentences in your script. And make sure they are well placed and well executed.
TRIM TIP #5
Don't underestimate the audience's intelligence.
If, say, in one scene you have had a major revelation, don't cut to the next scene where another character finds out about the revelation.
Cut to the next scene and SHOW the character REACTING to the revelation.
Even though we haven't SEEN the character learn of the revelation - we will understand that they have learnt of it - why? Because they are reacting to it.
TRIM TIP #6
Don't tell the audience what they already know.
I recently tried to watch Walt Before Mickey.
It was bad. I mean, really bad.
One HUGE mistake that film made - was - after the audience learned of a plot point, it would cut to the next scene and another character would say, 'What happened?' - then another character would tell the first character what had happened in the previous scene.
Do I even need to point out how stupid that is?
SUMMARY --
The leaner your script the more readers will love you.
When a script is lean - readers focus on the STORY - and that's what you want your script to be judged by.
Not how well you constructed a sentence - but how you bring together all your characters and thread them into your story.
Be honest with yourself - go to the script you're working on at the moment and - regardless of the page count - apply the six trim tips I've laid out here.
Even if your script was already coming in at 98 pages - apply these tips - you should be able to get your page count down to around 90 pages and yet you're telling the SAME STORY.
That's only going to bode well for you when it comes to the reader evaluating your script.
I do a lot of coverage of screenplays these days. I see a lot of common mistakes.
The following are a series of concise screenwriting tips.
#3 WRITE WITH PRODUCTION IN MIND
When you start out as a writer you'll often hear others say - "Don't think about restrictions - just write as it comes to you - don't create any boundaries - just write and let it flow."
While this is good advice to a certain degree - especially for those writers who have trouble putting words on the page - there ultimately comes a time when you have to think about your market.
While screenwriting is at its heart is a creative pursuit - ultimately - you are like any other business (assuming you want to do this for money - for those not wanting to make money out of screenwriting - disregard this post - for the rest - read on...).
Think of the car industry - it's all well and good for a car designer to be told to design the most amazing car they can with no restrictions.
What's the end result? You end up with a state-of-the-art car that costs about $10m to make.
Now let's go and look at the car market.
Oh, shit - there's a really small about of people out there willing to spend $10m on a car.
In the car marketplace - the main sales go from around the $10k mark up to $100k.
That's the sweet spot - that's where most car owners are happy to buy a car.
The same needs to be done for your film.
There are only a handful of production studios that can make a $200m film. We're talking less than 10 worldwide.
These companies typically develop these $200m films internally.
Jump down a notch to the $100m film category - sure, there's a handful more production companies that can raise this kind of cash - but again - because of the amount of money at risk - they're only going to want to work with creatives who have a proven track-record of delivering quality product on budget.
So unless you have a slew of great credits - writing for this price-point is a waste of time.
Jump down to the $50m mark - again - there are more production companies who can raise this kind of money - but again - $50m is a lot of money - so again, these producers aren't going to risk it on (essentially) unknown creatives.
Jump down to the $20m mark - yes, there's a lot of production companies that can raise this capital to make a film - but again - $20m is a lot of cash to risk on unknowns.
Jump down again - to the $15m price point.
More production companies - and here you will see some 'little knowns' getting their break - but these are still few and far between.
It's not until you jump down to the $5m category that you start to see more 'first-time directors/writers breaking in.'
But even here - they want SOME kind of track record - a short film that did well - a feature script that won a major script comp - or made it onto the Black/Hit/Blood/Brit list.
It's really at the $500k - $3m range where you see most of 'new creatives' getting their break-through.
So with that in mind - if you have little or no IMDB credits to your name - and you don't have really good representation - then this is where you should write your screenplays for.
If you can come up with a high concept feature film that is set in 4 or less locations with a cast of less than 6 you have an immensely better chance of getting your film made than if you've written the next Titanic.
Think about that for a while...
So that's MACRO film budget.
Let's talk scene level film budget...
What do you mean by that?
How you write each scene can have a major effect on the budget of your film.
I recently reviewed a script with a gorilla in the scene. Then I thought - how damn expensive would it be to get a gorilla for that scene?
Where the hell would you start?
Then I looked at the scene - the gorilla was not central to the scene. The gorilla was window dressing. Sure, it made the scene better, but the core of the scene didn't change if you removed the gorilla.
The scene was set in a forest.
A forest is quite possibly one of the cheapest places to shoot a scene.
There's no set dressing. No lighting (assuming you're shooting at day.)
You really only need minimal crew and your cast.
So, with that gorilla scene in mind - the moment the writer removed the gorilla from the scene - the shot went from a $20k day - to a $2k day. That's a rough estimate - obviously - but you get the idea.
Securing large public locations can be costly.
Shooting a scene in LAX will cost you an arm and a leg.
Think about that important meeting you have between two characters that happens at arrivals in LAX.
Is there any reason why you couldn't have the meet take place in the BATHROOM at LAX.
That way - all you need to get is an establishing shot of LAX - that won't cost very much at all.
Then you can go to ANY BATHROOM in ANY BUILDING and shoot the bathroom meet between your two main characters. Have some audio effects of flight calls being announced on PA speakers and you've sold the moment - simultaneously you've reduced your budget dramatically.
The same goes for scenes that take place in sports stadiums.
Is it imperative that the scene is shot in the stands at a packed football match?
OR...
Could you have a scene-setting shot of the football field - a drone shot perhaps - something you could buy from stock footage for a couple of hundred dollars.
Then the important scene - the important moment - that was going to happen in the stands surrounded by thousands of people - could take place inside - say in a cafe - or a bar - or any location that's small and doesn't require paying one thousand extras.
A really good test is to go through your screenplay - look at each scene - think about what the core of the scene is - ask yourself, what are you trying to do with that scene?
Once you know what the core of your scene is - think about alternate locations and ways to execute that beat.
You'll find that almost every scene can be executed in a far less expensive way.
Cost of production is something that any producer that's worth their salt considers as they read scripts.
If a producer knows that they can get a film made for $2m - then they're going to pass on any script that doesn't meet that budget - regardless of if the film is a great script or not.
I do a lot of coverage of screenplays these days. I see a lot of common mistakes.
The following are a series of concise screenwriting tips.
#2 MONTAGES
Montages serve two main functions.
They show a long passage of time in a short period of time.
They can either focus on one main character - or they can follow a series of characters.
There really is no rule.
The main thing to make sure that's happening in a montage is that there is a progression of events - that the story is being moved forward.
If you're focusing on one main character in your montage - then you want to show that character growing and learning - at the start of the montage they are unable to do, or are bad at doing something - by the end of the montage they have grown better at doing that certain something - quite often having mastered it.
There is another way to use a montage WITHOUT moving the story forward - this is when you use a montage to put forward your theme.
Just say your theme is the devastation of mining on the environment - you could have a montage of shots showing various mines around the world that have destroyed the environment.
In this montage the story has not been moved forward - but you have put forth your thesis - it's kind of like the writer or director or producer saying - this is what this story will be about.
In screenwriting it is important to SHOW not TELL.
Using a montage in this way is a much more effective way of conveying your theme, than having a character TALKING about the devastation of mining.
Hearing someone talk about something is only half as effective as seeing that same thing.
WRITING A MONTAGE
If your script is only going to have one montage in it - then you don't need to label your montage.
Simply write
MONTAGE --
Then use a dash, or a double dash, and write how you'd like each scene to go. You don't need to write traditional slug lines in a montage. It slows down the read. It's okay to write locations in long form - as such...
- Football field - Day - Mike throws the ball. It falls short. His arm is still hurting badly from his injury. He gives up. Walks off the field.
- Gym - Day - Mike works with light weights. His face pained, his arm hurting badly. He gives up.
- Physio center - Day - Mike struggles with physio exercises.
- Football Field - Spectators stands - night - Mike watches his team lose a game. Anger and determination fills his face.
Now that you've setup the four major locations - you cycle back through those same locations showing a progression each time you revisit them.
- Football Field - Day - Mike throws the football. It falls short. His arm still hurting. But this time he walks to the ball, picks it up, throws it again. He's not going to give up.
- Gym - day - Mike works with light weights. It hurts, but he's determined to push through.
- Physio center - Day - Mike powers through his exercises. It hurts, but he's determined to do this.
Football Field - spectators stand - night - Mike watches his team play a hard game, but they lost by one point.
We then cycle through the locations two more times.
The third time Mike has made more progression, the fourth time he is almost as good as new.
When you've finished writing the montage you write...
END MONTAGE.
If you have multiple montages throughout your script it's a good idea to label them.
I.E...
MIKE'S TRAINING MONTAGE.
MIKE'S STUDYING MONTAGE.
MIKE'S TRAVELLING MONTAGE.
Etc...
The main reason for this is clarity.
It's important to note that when a 'Reader' reads your script, at best they're going to read about 70% of it. You'll be lucky if they read that much. Odds are, that they'll speed read, which means that they'll read just enough to understand the story and the characters.
The reason for this comes down to just how many scripts there are to be read. If a Reader read every screenplay slowly and throughly, they'd be out of a job very quickly.
With this in mind, it's a good idea to clearly label your montages to avoid any confusion for your reader.
I do a lot of coverage of screenplays these days. I see a lot of common mistakes.
The following are a series of concise screenwriting tips.
#1 - FONT/WRITING PROGRAM
A lot of writers seem to think that writing a screenplay in anything other than Final Draft is fine.
'You can't tell the difference' - is the main excuse I hear.
No - you're wrong. I can tell the difference. So can professional Managers, Agents, Readers and Producers.
When a reader sees that a script was written in anything but Final Draft - they automatically flag the screenplay as amateur. Then when they see one more red flag, they start to skim read. Give then one or two more red flags and odds are they'll move into super skim-reading mode, then write up a really quick summary that ends with PASS.
A lot of new writers don't seem to understand just how saturated the screenwriting market is.
There are 50,000 screenplays registered at WGAw yearly. On top of that it's safe to say there are another 50,000 scripts written yearly that go unregistered.
So that's 100,000 screenplays written EVERY YEAR.
Then factor in that it can - in some instances - take 10 years to see a script go from page to the screen - in which case your screenplay is competing at any given time, with over 1 million other scripts.
Think about that for a moment.
1
million
screenplays.
That's a lot of screenplays.
If you can't be bothered to make the investment of $200 and get the ONLY piece of software you need to write screenplays professionally, what does that say about you as a writer?
It says that you're not taking it seriously.
When a reader sees that - they check out. And unless your script is incredible - which - odds are it isn't - not by a country mile - then after two pages they've checked out completely - and they're moving onto the next script.
Today's post is the second part of an interview with Dan Benamor.
Dan is a screenwriter that recently exploded onto the scene with his screenplay Onward, Through The Night.
Onward, was selected as a Tracking Board Recommended script.
For anyone reading this that doesn't know what Tracking Board is - you need to check them out now.
Tracking Board Recommend is the highest accolade any burgeoning screenwriter can get.
As far as fast-tracking careers goes TBR is better than the Nicholl Fellowship.
Dan is a worthy recipient of that accolade.
He is also the writer of a highly polished thriller 'Initiation' out now on VOD on iTunes - and various other VOD platforms.
Here's a link to the film on US iTunes.
Here's a link to the film on Canadian iTunes
Here's a link to buy the film on youtube
Here's a link to the trailer for Initiation on youtube.
You should be able to find it on Amazon, Xbox, Sony PlayStation, Google Play, YouTube (for rental/purchase), and VUDU plus on most cable VOD providers.
DtS: So, after having made your first low budget feature straight out of film school, how did you come to move to LA?
DB: Honestly, it was all because of my buddy Kyle. He would call me every two weeks and say, when are we going? If it wasn't for him pushing me, I probably would have put it off for another year.
DtS: When did you arrive in LA?
DB: 2011.
DtS: Did you know anyone going into LA?
DB: My cousin.
DtS: How do you feel about LA?
DB: It's a great city. It depends on where you live. I lived in Hollywood at first, and that's a very dispiriting place to live. It's like a refugee camp. I've since moved to Burbank, and I love it there.
DtS: How did you get your fist job in the industry? I met you when you were working at NGN.
DB: Yeah, Nasser entertainment, NGN. I started as an intern, just doing coverage. Then I got hired as a development assistant. Then I got promoted, and eventually I was head of development.
DtS: How long did that take?
DB: It was really short. I had a really good rapport with the producers. We're talking maybe 6 months to a year.
DtS: How many films did you do there?
DB: I did thirteen movies in three years. We were pumping them out pretty good.
DtS: You have a very distinct voice in your writing. I talk about voice on the blog, and how it can carry a writer and carry a script. Your voice is very unique. Can you talk about your voice for a moment, how did you create your style?
DB: I was in a weird mental place when I wrote Onward, I had just gotten engaged, and I had left the job as the development exec', but I wasn't properly represented at that stage, I was sort of in this middle ground, and I had seen the money I could make there, and realised that unless I wrote something that changed things significantly for me, I was going to be earning less than I wanted to be.
So I went to this hotel, and I wrote the first draft really quickly and I chose to not second guess any of my decisions. I wrote it with anger, I think. I think that most of the stuff I have written has been done so with some element of anger.
DtS: You have a very noir tone to your writing. You have super short, blunt sentences. Where does that writing style come from?
DB: Part of the reason I left my old job, I had written a script under a pen name, and we got Michelle McLaren interested in it, who did more episodes of Breaking Bad than anyone, before she completely blew-up, she read my script, met with us, and she said that the thing she took away from it the most was the sense of humour.
But that was kinda weird, as it was a violent, noir script. I've noticed that most of my scripts that resonate with people has had a lot of dark humour, which prevents it from being too dark. And I think it's also my own sensibilities.
In Onward, there's a scene where there's this guy who's a torturer, and he has an ice-coffee that he brings with him to each torture session and he had a coaster, cause to me, you see, films that often have these genre elements, tropes, they're not real people.
So I think to myself, he's a real guy, that's his job, he goes to work and tortures people, and so little things and little moments like that end up being really important to me, and I think they're all about voice, they're not about story. I always try to approach it, like, even bad people are still people, they're not cartoon characters.
DtS: Onward is the script that has done things for you.
DB: Yeah, It got me representation, manager, agent, lawyer.
DtS: This has all come from the Tracking Board Recommends?
DB: I've gotta give them a ton of credit. It has made a huge difference for my career.
DtS: How is the process of working with a good production company on this script compared to what you've experienced perviously?
DB: When you're making an independent film it's all about, let's go make the movie. When you're working with a company like Anonymous Content, the bar for the quality of material is really high. They are also, sooooo smart. It forces me to be on my A game.
DtS: Dealing with notes. Have you received notes you don't agree with? And if so, how do you deal with that?
DB: I'm working with people that are incredibly accomplished and so smart -
DtS: So you haven't been hit with a note that you thought - well that's just stupid -
DB: No, definitely not.
DtS: As a writer, getting bad notes from other projects, how did you deal with it?
DB: I think that because I was a development exec, I've seen both sides of the table. So when a producer gives me a note I know that they're not just saying it for fun, that there's a reason behind it. If it's something I disagree with it's a conversation.
I say, well if I do that, then this is what the domino effect of that will be, and this would be my concern, and then it becomes a conversation and we figure it out. I think that having been a development exec has been super helpful with that.
DtS: Initiation, your film that's just come out on VOD. When did you write it?
DB: About three years ago. My cousin had a script, I ended up coming in and co-writing the script with him.
DtS: How was the co-writing process?
DB: We had a really good working experience together. My cousin brought some great things to the table. He thinks outside the box and it was great. His background is more visual than mine, and he brought things up that I would never have thought about.
As writers we tend to think of the internal workings of the script - the elegance of the structure, themes, arcs, metaphors etc, and for me I'm always trying to bring emotion to everything I'm working on, but with my cousin he thinks how all that is going to be conveyed visually, which is something that writers often forget about. For me, it's all about trying to create an emotional connection between the story and the audience.
DtS: Do you go into a screenplay thinking how can I create a vicarious connection between the audience and my script? Or is that something that you feel is second nature to you?
DB: When I sit down to write, I think, if I was going to read this, why would I give a shit? And I try to set the bar on that relatively high.
Unfortunately, I think we are so numb to stories, that now they have to be so intense or otherwise we just don't care. I'm a horrible audience member. I try to watch a movie now and it's often a disaster, if it's not awesome, after 20 minutes, I'm out.
DtS: Back on your writing process. You said you locked yourself in a motel room and wrote Onward, how long was that?
DB: The first draft was three days. Then I did a couple more drafts before I sent it to anyone. Once the script got the recommend and then I got representation, we changed the script significantly before it was sent out and now that there's a production company involved it's changed again but the spine of the story hasn't changed since that first draft.
DtS: Further on your method. Aside from your three day bender with Onward, what has been your process?
DB: It depends on the circumstances. If I've been hired to write something I'm not at liberty to be as wild with it so it becomes a lot more about craft, I'll do 5 pages a day and I want each page to be really tight.
If I'm writing a spec it's really more about prep, the actual writing of the script doesn't take me that long, it's about the outlining and research, I will read about two or three books about what ever the subject matter is.
And there ends the interview with the talented Dan Benamor.
THE TAKE AWAY...
1) Getting out to LA sooner rather than later worked well for Dan. He took an internship and turned it into a development executive position within 12 months. Obviously everyone's journey is different, but if you feel that you're a procrastinator, possibly spurring yourself to make the move sooner rather than later could move your career faster for you.
2) Voice - is a very important element of screenwriting. I often talk about how voice is the sum of all the elements of your screenplay. If you nail all the smaller elements of your story your voice will come across as strong. Voice is also the way you write. Do you use short sentences, do you have a good sense of dark humour like Dan does. Are you able to write the fine detail that will make your script and the characters feel real like Dan's torturer who brings an ice-coffee and coaster to work with him every day?
3) Tracking Board Recommends is great at starting careers. Dan is a great case study for this. When you have a script that you feel is ready, send it to TBR. If it's not recommended then take their notes seriously and apply them. TBR has the power and contacts to get you representation.
4) Dealing with bad notes. Make it a discussion. Don't be blunt. Don't just say, no, I'm not going to do it. Voice your concerns about the note and give reasons why you think it wouldn't necessarily work. Most importantly - make it a dialogue - not you simply saying, no, not gonna do it.
5) Method - when writing a spec - outlining and working on your structure is critically important to the success of your script. The more intimately you know the framework of the screenplay you're about to write - the easier it will be to do the actual writing.
